CEO won't sign away pool hours

FOR more than nine months Craig Doyle has refused to sign away Sarina residents' access to their pool at the local high school.

The Mackay Regional Council chief executive officer won't sign the contract between the council and the Department of Education which allowed residents to use the school pool.

It has been on his desk for nine months, because it proposes to reduce the hours the community could use the pool from 80 hours a week to 46.

"It is nearly a reduction of 50%,” Mr Doyle said. "I refuse to sign something that is worse for the community. So we are working through that (with) different channels and we continue to push back.”

The issue of public access has caused waves in the community as residents remembered they fundraised and paid money through their rates to build the school pool.

Sarina-based councillors have called on members of the community to sign a petition to keep their full hours at the pool.

The Education Department explained the final decision rested with the current acting-principal of Sarina State High School. However the only comment we have had from the acting-principal, Daniel Johnson, was that he was not in a position to help at this time.